Point of sale (“POS”) terminals enable convenient electronic payment for many products and services. Consumers holding cards associated with a charge, credit, debit, or loyalty account may pay for a purchase simply by entering a card or card information directly into the POS terminal. The demonstrated success of “pay at the pump” terminals is just one example of the popular acceptance of and preference for the convenience of POS terminal transactions. Smart card and contactless card readers provide additional convenience at such POS terminals.
Presently known POS terminals typically include, inter alia, a magnetic stripe reader, a keypad for entry of a personal identification number (“PIN”), and a user display. Conventional POS terminals communicate with a central computer to authorize and settle sales transactions. Terminals often include peripheral devices such as printers, bar code readers or PIN entry pads. Use of such known POS terminals typically requires that the user orient the magnetic stripe on a card to correspond to the position of the magnetic stripe reader head within the card track or slot on the terminal. Many models also require and supposedly instruct that the card be passed through the track in a particular direction in addition to requiring a particular orientation of the card. Accordingly, consumers or other users of such terminals often fail to properly orient or direct the card within the card track. Improper orientation or direction of a card may result in confusion and uncertainty, leading to failed transactions or redundant transactions as information is resubmitted. This problem is compounded by the fact that different terminals employ different card reader configurations and instructions, relying on imprecise arrows, pictures, and written instructions to guide the user as to card orientation and direction. This problem has long been a source of delay, inconvenience and frustration for consumers and merchants alike.
Accordingly, there is a need for a POS terminal that accommodates multiple card orientations and bi-directional magnetic stripe card reading and that overcomes other shortcomings of the prior art.